In Welcome Week at the end of last month we welcomed 85 students to MDS programmes who had participated in Access to Birmingham (A2B). A2B is sector-leading in the support it provides for students from backgrounds currently underrepresented in higher education. In MDS we have a fantastic team of programme A2B lead tutors and assignment tutors who support applicants to the University, and since 2013, 454 A2B participants have joined our programmes adding to the range and richness of experience and perspectives of our undergraduate population.
While this success is worth celebrating it is important to also recognise that we still have a long way to go to ensure that anyone with the academic potential to succeed on one of our programmes has an equal opportunity to access our courses and that we address any barriers to the success and progression of our students while they are studying with us. This summer we surveyed A2B participants to find out what sort of support they would find helpful. 85% of participants said that they would find it useful to have a mentor from the later years of their course who had also participated in the A2B scheme. We’re in the process of setting up a mentoring programme and developing bespoke training for both the mentors and mentees.
Hear about one of our former nursing student’s experience of A2B in this video.
To find out more about Access to Birmingham: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/teachers/pupil-opportunities/post-16/access-to-birmingham.aspx
Find out more about our Outreach and Widening Participation activities in MDS: www.birmingham.ac.uk/MDSOutreach
Twitter: @UoB_R2PMed
